Bioinformatics is the marriage of molecular biology with computer science. It's an exciting, relatively young and emerging information science, in which com- puters help to integrate, manage, analyze, and visualize genetic and biological information. Its potential for the good of society is enormous. Among other things, scientists apply this technology to
- Study biological processes in organisms
- Determine how these processes go wrong in diseases
- Discover and develop gene-based drugs to treat, cure and prevent human diseases
The growth of this biotechnology field is fueled in part by the Human Genome Project. Its objective is to identify all of the estimated 80,000 genes in human DNA, and determine the sequences of its 3 billion chemical bases, by the year 2005. In light of this project, major players such as univer- sities, govt. institutions and pharmaceutical com- panies around the world have formed bioinfor- matics groups, creating a boom in job opportunities.
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To work in the core of this hot, science career of the'90s, you must be a scientist or computational specialist. The scientist researches the biology, while the specialist writes the computer code. For increased career oppor- tunities, possessing both sets of skills is a good idea. But, there are many other opportunities radi- ating from the core; for example, development of instrumentation, software support, plus all the other positions in organizations sustaining this research.
For more information about opportunities, start with Bioplanet, a career site dedicated to bioinfor- matics. It includes articles, FAQs, educational resour- ces, links to employers' Web sites, & European & US job opportunities.
Also try the excellent resources below, included in my new Science and Medicine category. But, don't overlook the other sites in Net Links, such as those in Computer Jobs, Healthcare Jobs and even the seemingly generic categories. For example, a keyword search on bioinformatics at The Monster Board in Com- prehensive Sites revealed 12 associated jobs at two pharmaceutical compan- ies. (The contents of the last link will change or become invalid down the road.)
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